Battalion columnist jailed; friends do lunch
Friday, Sept.
26, 12:25 p.m. I
was arrested.
Detective Will
Scott of the Uni
versity Police De
partment burst
into The Battalion
newsroom and
slapped the cuffs
on me. The
charges — pub
lishing biased
Karl
Pallmeyer
opinions. Scott carried me out to the po
lice car and drove me to jail.
This wasn’t a typical jail. This jail was
in the middle of Post Oak Mall where
the prisoners were in plain view of hun
dreds of shoppers.
Brazos County Crime Stoppers was
having its annual Jail-a-Thon, where
concerned citizens could have various
“criminal types” incarcerated for a fee.
The convicts then have to raise money
to buy their freedom. All proceeds go to
provide reward money for those who
call Crime Stoppers with information
that leads to solving crimes.
A short trial was held before I was
thrown into the cell. I had to plead
guilty to the charges of writing biased
opinions, since that’s the nature of opin
ion. Bail was set at $100.
There were four phones, several
phone books, a couple of chairs, pens,
paper, a cold pizza and a roll of toilet
paper in the cell. The wardens had in
tended for the prisoners to use the toilet
paper to wipe up the mess made by the
pizza, but they had been careless. All I
had to do was bend back the bars, roll
the toilet paper out the window, slide
down the roll and have an escape.
Mail Call
Dear Karl...
EDITOR:
As long as you have a columnist on your staff whose
apparent function is to aggravate readers rather than
inform them, you need a section titled, “DEAR KARL.”
Dear Karl:
Your cheap shots at our U.S. congressman in the Sept.
24 Battalion should embarrass the newspaper. You are
entitled to an opinion, of course. But outright rudeness
and name-calling toward an elected official who has
worked tirelessly for the benefit of this institution and its
students has no place in Aggieland.
Concerning the use of the “Gig’em” symbol on bumper
stickers, the congressman’s campaign staff merely
reprinted something that was effective two years ago.
Many Aggies just happen to prefer using things with
Texas A&M logos on them.
The various A&M symbols have been used for many
years on everything from beer cups to toilet seats without
paying royalties. Everyone but you realizes that using
those logos in no way implies official University
endorsement. Barton had no reason to know of any
problem.
It is entirely appropriate for Barton, Class of’72, to ask
for support from fellow Aggies. His position on issues —
which you incorrectly say he avoids — has been consistent
with the opinions of the great majority of A&M students
and former students.
Joe Barton’s attitudes were shaped while attending this
University. He not only earned an A&M diploma, Barton
also earned his way through college with jobs and
scholarships.
Real Aggie experience gave Joe Barton the strong
conservative character he has consistently shown in
Congress. That same character — not just being a “lap
dog” — is what led the national Democratic leadership to
make his a key target in this election.
Rodger Lewis ’76
Your editorial cited Nicaragua as an example of
Reagan-imposed sanctions which should be emulated in
the case of South Africa. In 1979, the United States
refused to support Gen. Anatasio Somoza in Nicaragua, to
the extent of asking his government to step down. The
result — a Soviet puppet; much worse, I fear, than the
Pretoria government could hope to be.
The world is full of such precedents. China under
Chiang Kai-shek, Cuba under Batista or South Vietnam
under Thieu are all examples of what happens to former
allies when we abandon them. The communists, almost
invariably, turn these nations into armed camps against
our interests. They brutally cut their way through
moderate opposition and will do so in South Africa if they
are allowed. I ask, simply, “Where is the real moral
repugnance?”
David V. Wilson II
Reagan's veto disappointing
EDITOR’S NOTE: Users of the A&M logos have had to
pay royalties since the inception of the licensing program
in 1981, Barry C. Nelson, manager of administration serv
ices, says. Legal challenges concerning logo use were set
tled June 26, when the Texas Supreme Court let stand a
previous ruling by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals,
gran ting A&M control of the logos.
What moral repugnance?
EDITOR:
Your criticism of President Reagan’s policy on South
Africa in Monday’s Battalion has incited me to send these
comments. Your editorial exhorts Reagan to use economic
sanctions in accordance with “the rising tide of public
opinion.”
I support Reagan in his courageous stand for rational
behavior. Public opinion has been fanned to flame by the
slanted, biased reporting of you and your fellow
journalists.
Weekly, blacks are killed and tortured by black
opposition groups. Yet our media spends less time
deoating these acts of “moral repugnance” than the
policies of South African President Botha’s government.
I question whether blacks in South Africa will benefit at
all if you and those bastions of freedom, Students Against
Apartheid, get your wish for the overthrow of Botha’s
white government. It is difficult for me to see that a nation
will benefit when a somewhat stable government is traded
for a divided opposition.
EDITOR:
President Reagan’s veto of Congress’ proposed
sanctions against South Africa strikes a deep
disappointment to anti-apartheiders — including
Congress, black South Africans, Texas A&M Students
Against Apartheid and the majority of the American
people.
In 1945, Hitler was defeated primarily as a result of
Congress’ declaration of war. American soldiers and black
South Africans had fought bravely for a just cause.
No one thought they ever would see, tolerate or
experience another shocking horror of a bigoted regime’s
fallacious concept of a “master racist’s” right to manipulate
the worthless lives and freedoms of others.
But in 1948, Afrikaners’ legislation made apartheid a
reality.
One of the reasons cited for the veto is that withdrawal
would “result in more turmoil that could be exploited by
the Soviet Union.”
But what could be more exploitive than the present
situation? The West, to date, has refused to finance any
liberation movements in South Africa. Black South
Africans fought Hitler alongside Americans, and most
Americans are in favor of sanctions. But in South Africa, it
is hard to differentiate Westerners from Afrikaners since
both benefit economically from slave labor, live in “whites
only” neighborhoods and utilize “no blacks allowed”
facilities and privileges.
Another veto explanation was that it amounted to a
“declaration of war” against the people of South Africa
and the surrounding interdependent black nations.
However, 70 percent of black South Africans and 90
percent of all anti-apartheid leaders insist on sanctions.
Furthermore, front-line states neighboring Pretoria —
Zimbabwe, Zambia, etc. — are active proponents of
stronger measures than those included in the
Congressional bill.
When all is said and done, it makes one extremely
uncomfortable to know that the only people drinking
champagne over the veto in South Africa are P. W. Botha
and his apartheid heirarchy.
Norman Muraya’87
President of Students Against Apartheid
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial
staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make
every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed
and must include the classification, address and telephone number of the
writer.
learn who your real friends are. I know
my friends, and I also know that they
don’t have any money.
u
Jtl
My first call to The Battalion proved
worthless. Everyone at the paper was
too busy laughing about the incident to
raise any money. Then they decided to
go to lunch. That didn’t do me much
good because I was hungry and not too
fond of cold pizza.
B
Usually prisoners are allowed only
one phone call, but that was not the case
here. I was expected to get on the phone
and call all of my friends to donate
money so that I could get out. One of
the guards said that now is the time you
I banged on the bars in typical B-
movie fashion and asked for something
to drink. A few minutes later, two sweet,
little old ladies brought me a Coke and a
bag of cookies. As it turned out, these
women, and all their friends from the
registration office, were responsible for
having me jailed. They were not happy
with my column about registration and
wanted to teach me a lesson.
Being jailed in a mall has
and disadvantages. The advantage
that there are lots of people around
might contribute to your cause. Thet
advantage is that some of those
might actually know you and willenjol
seeing you behind bars. After a fo
laughs Gary Engstrom, a friend M
my dorm days and Andy Richardson,,
friend from my video yearbook djv. L nes( j
forked over a few bucks for my release
w:
1 Bry;
Key p
idt var
ts he
Since the University Police carrieda
in, I thought I would see if they wot
help to carry me out. Director of Ser,
rity and Traffic Bob Wiatt said
jailed last year during the Jail-a-Tfe
and would be glad to help me out.
suggested I get a haircut, though.
I have learned my lesson and apol
ogize humbly to all of the registration
people who worked so hard to help me
and 35,000 other students despite prob
lems beyond their control. I need to
learn how to keep my mouth shut unless
I have something intelligent to say.
A call to The Eagle — the "competi
tion” — proved more beneficial than the
call to my own paper. Despite the fact
that journalism is a low-paying profes
sion, several reporters were willing help
free an imprisoned comrade. They
couldn’t do anything for Nicholas Dani-
loff, so they did the next best thing. Edi
tor Bob Rogers, a former journalism
professor, contributed to my fund.
Writers Robert Poole, Virginia Kirk and
Jann Snell also were generous with their
hard-earned pay.
Another call to The Battalionh&A
to raise some more of my bail. Onct.
mentioned The Eagle had donaiti
money, John Makely, Dawn Butt,Top
Casper, Kevin Thomas, MaryW
Rohsner, Greg Bailey, Rodney
Jeanne Isenberg, Amy Couvillonjolii—,
Jarvis and Mona Palmer scraped »haiyou
gether more bucks for my release IvP e > sa
eryone else still was out to lunch r u T’ fu
icious
Hr cl
rial,
obsc
ision
cour
ing
t, T
ey sa
the
hing
very
tonij
angi
■The
I needed more money so I decidedtl
go to the top. Vice President for Studer.
Services John J. Koldus alwaysisv
to help students. He even helped mq:
out of jail. 1 went to the verytopa:;
called University President Frankll
Vandiver. For some strange reasonfttI
Vandiver donated to the cause.
Jure rr
FOnce
Next I began calling some of my pro
fessors. Most of them offered money to
keep me in jail longer, but Dr. Mike
Buchholz of the journalism department,
Dr. Larry Hickman of the philosophy
department and Dr. Jeffery Cox of the
English department agreed to help me
out. I’m grateful for their sacrifice be
cause teaching doesn’t pay much more
than journalism.
After three hours my sentences
ended. With lots of help I was able!)
raise $120 for Crime Stoppers, a wont'
cause. Henry David Thoreau did so®
of his best writing as a result of beici
imprisoned. Maybe my time in the slat
mer also will be inspirational.
Karl Pallmeyer is a senior journals
major and a columnist /or The Battal
ion.
Trains of thought
on keeping Amtrak
There was a
time in my life —
not too many
years ago — when,
if I didn’t drive to
Lewis
Grizzard
a place, I took the train.
The problem was the rest of the
world was on a jet plane schedule, and
so I had to learn to deal with my fear of
flying. The way I learned to deal with it
was to drink double screwdrivers before
boarding the flight.
The more double screwdrivers I had,
the less nervous I was on the flight. But
I covered all that, of course, in my fa
mous scientific paper entitled “The
Grizzard Double-Screwdriver Theory:
How I Conquered My Fear of Flying the
Easy Way.”
But I had this trip up to Baltimore,
and who has ever been in a hurry to get
to Baltimore? I decided to catch Am-
trak’s overnight “Crescent” from At
lanta and see what was doing with pas
senger trains since I took to the skies.
The train was only 15 minutes late
leaving Atlanta. When was the last time
you were on a flight that was only 15
minutes late?
thing that hasn’t changed on Arntrab
that train food is still infinitely beim
than airplane food.
After dinner, I went to the dub or
and ordered a half bottle of redwine.il
was served with a plastic cup full of ice. 1
certainly am not a wine expert, bull
know better than to drink red wineovet
I unscrewed the cap off the wineboj
tie, sniffed the bouquet and then turd
the bottle up to my lips.
“A bit arrogant,” I said to the wadi
after a long swallow. “But not offend
I went to my little room in one of the
sleeper cars, stowed my luggage and
checked to see if my restroom was as
small as I had remembered sleeper res
trooms to be. It was, and I was re
minded of that wonderful love song
with the touching phrase, “Passengers
will please refrain from flushing toilet
while train is standing in the station, I
love you.”
Then I went to the diner. One thing
that has changed on Amtrak is that if
you pay for a sleeper, you get compli
mentary meals. I had the steak. One
An older man joined an older lady®
the booth next to mine. Theoldboyrtl
making a move.
“I haven’t had any men friendssin«|
my husband, Mr. Willoughby, diedj
said the lady.
“Don’t worry, honey,” said thei
“I’m too old to be dangerous, ju
young enough not to realize it.”
I went back to my sleeper somewhen I
between Greenville and Spartanbud
S.C. The elderly couple was
hands by that time. I would haveslefJ
quite well had it not been forthefaij|
that the door to the bathroom
each time the train bumped, which wJ
approximately every two seconds.
The engine broke down just o
Washington, and I was two hours fet|
arriving in Baltimore.
Still, I enjoyed the trip, and I remaial
against any administration plans toculj
the Amtrak budget.
Had the elderly pair in the club call
not taken the train, neither might ha'll
realized there was yet some clicketyii 1 |
both their clacks.
Copyright 1986, Cowles Syndicate
The Battalion
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Cathie Anderson, Editor
Kirsten Dietz, Managing Editor
Loren Steffy, Opinion Page Editor
Frank Smith, City Editor
Sue Krenek, News Editor
Ken Sury, Sports Editor
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